Slicing machine for diversely cutting vegetables and the like

ABSTRACT

The slicing machine of the invention combines in broad general aspects, the combination of a driven rotary slicing rotor with a substantially concentrically disposed housing closely related therewith and for the most part having a closed bottom with a tangential discharge passage for the sliced material extending therethrough. The rotor of the machine has a body constituting two or more spiraled volutes having peripheral edges which extend concentrically of the housing. At the separated edges of the volutes from the body, spiraled, curvilinear knife-edge cutting elements are removably attached extending from points close to the axis or hub of the device outwardly to the peripheral edge of each volute and spaced some distance above the adjacent edge of the other volute. A plurality and variety of arrangements of upwardly extending vertical cutting knives are supported from and mounted upon a plurality of volutes extending above the tops thereof and in predetermined spiral arrangements relative to the first-mentioned cutting edges, to produce simultaneous vertical cutting along predetermined lines and radial distances from the axis of the rotor. Depending upon the arrangement and structure of the cutting knives, as illustrated, elongate shredded or string material may be produced in the slicing operation, or in the alternative, production of diced, rectangular wedges, or cubical granular particles may be attained.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Maynard P. Hanson 251 l McKinley St., N.E., Minneapolis, Minn. 55418 21 Appl. No. 25,337

[22] Filed Apr. 3, 1970 Dec. 28, 1971 [45] Patented [54] S LICING MACHINE FOR DIV ERSELY CUTTING Primary Examiner-Willie G. Abercrombie Attorney-Williamson, Palmatier & Bains ABSTRACT: The slicing machine of the invention combines in broad general aspects, the combination of a driven rotary slicing rotor with a substantially concentrically disposed housing closely related therewith and for the most part having a closed bottom with a tangential discharge passage for the sliced material extending therethrough. The rotor of the machine has a body constituting two or more spiraled volutes having peripheral edges which extend concentrically of the housing. At the separated edges of the volutes from the body, spiraled, curvilinear knife-edge cutting elements are removably attached extending from points close to the axis or hub of the device outwardly to the peripheral edge of each volute and spaced some distance above the adjacent edge of the other volute. A plurality and variety of arrangements of upwardly extending vertical cutting knives are supported from and mounted upon a plurality of volutes extending above the tops thereof and in predetermined spiral arrangements relative to the first-mentioned cutting edges, to produce simultaneous vertical cutting along predetermined lines and radial distances from the axis of the rotor. Depending upon the arrangement and structure of the cutting knives, as illustrated, elongate shredded or string material may be produced in the slicing operation, or in the alternative, production of diced, rectangular wedges, or cubical granular particles may be attained.

SLICING MACHINE FOR DIVERSELY CUTTING VEGETABLES AND THE LIKE This invention relates to slicing machines for variously cutting and Slicing a number of different vegetables including lettuce, cabbage, potatoes, onions, and the like, and is in' several respects an improvement upon US. Pat. No. 2,590,909 in which I was a joint inventor.

My present invention has for an important object the improvement of slicing mechanism of the general type of said patent with substantially greater variation of slicing in horizontal or diagonal nature, together with simultaneous vertical slicing of vegetables and the like to produce such products as cabbage slaw, lettuce wedges or squares, and potato cuts for hash brown potatoes.

A further object is the provision'of a machine of the class described wherein generally horizontal slicing with vertical slicing may all be carried out with the employment of additional elements or attachments.

A still further object is the provision of a device of the class described wherein centrifugal force enhances the slicing action and the novel arrangement of attachable vertical blades in a predetermined spiral relation, cooperating therewith, produces quite uniform output of cubical or rectangular fragments.

Another object is the provision in a machine of the class described, of components which may be readily assembled and which will meet all national and state requirements for sanitation and sterilizing of parts.

The machine of my invention is particularly adapted for large capacity restaurant use, but in smaller sizes is well adapted for home use.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of my invention will be more fully apparent from the following detailed description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of an embodiment of my invention assembled for operation and showing two vegetable heads' position for slicing;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rotary slicer head of FIG. I detached from the device;

FIG. 3 is a detail section on a larger scale, taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view showing an alternative rotary slicer head embodying another form of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a detail sectional view on a larger scale, taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

' FIG. 7 is a side elevation of one of the vertically disposed cutter elements detached from the device; and

FIG. 8 is a detail perspective view showing an alternative multiknife slicer structure of very economical form detachably mounted on an edge defined by a slot on one of the volutes of the rotary slicer.

Referring now in detail to the machine and rotary slicing head illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawings I provide an enlarged, substantially cylindrical slicer housing H having a substantially closed bottom I0, and as shown, an upstanding, outwardly beaded upper edge l2. The bottom 10 at the left side as shown) has segmental portion 11 cut away to form the marginal segment through which the sliced material may be discharged through centrifugal force and gravity in a downward direction as shown by the arrows. The slicing rotor preferably integrally formed by casting or die pressing, indicated as an entirely by the letters SR, is axially affixed to a driving shaft S, extending axially internally of housing H and as shown, comprises a pair of spirally arranged volutes A and B to form a uniform pitched spiral and as shown, is integrally affixed to an axial heavy hub U. The peripheries of the upper volute A and continuing lower volute B are disposed in close but clearance relation to the interior of the peripheral wall of the housing H. The hub U is drilled and keyed to receive and interlock with the upper end of driving shaft S which constitutes the output shaft from a combination motor and transmission mechanism M which is housed within a cylindrical housing X having an upper attachment flange 13 which is welded or otherwise secured to an inverted cylindrical housing C which constitutes the base and is attached to the bottom I0 of the cutter housing 11. The formation of the volutes A and B as clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 leaves slots or spaces between the two volutes and to the upper volute A the spiralled, curvilinear cutter blade 14 is removably affixed as by screws 14a, having its extreme cutter edge 14b curved upwardly somewhat as shown in FIG. 3 from the general body thereof.

A generally similar cutter blade 15 is detachably mounted on the upward inclined portion of the volute B, some distance from the trailing edge thereof, removably secured as shown, by screws 15a, and having its cutter edge 15b as shown in FIG. 3 curved upwardly from the peripheral edge of the adjacent portion of volute B. The rotor will be driven in the direction shown in the arrow in FIG. 2.

It will be understood that the slicer blades 14 and 15, during the operation of the device, will continuously slice and also help to feed vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, potatoes and onions downwardly while slicing substantially horizontally in such slow downward travel of the vegetables, during the slicing operation.

With vegetable and food materials which are relatively light in specific gravity, it is desirable to use a weight follower, and

to this end an axial detachable post 16 is removably seated for some depth in the bore of the hub U, and extends upward to at least near the top of the housing H and upon this member, is freely and slidably mounted the hub of a relatively heavy follower member 17, the weight of which is imposed upon the tops of the vegetables to be sliced to, by gravity, constitute a feeder factor for pressing the vegetables downward against the revolving cutter blades.

A partial cylindrical housing 18 having a depending skirt 1 18a is affixed as by welding or otherwise, to the exterior of housing H with the skirt 18a depending some distance therebelow, and serves as a discharge housing for guiding the sliced materials downwardly in a predetermined path.

It is to be understood that all of the working parts described, including the slicing rotor SR, its body and the volutes A and B, as well as the blades, are to be constructed of noncorrosive material such as stainless steel, and shafts S and 16 are preferably made of similar construction, as are the screws employed.

In addition to the simplified and more efficient structure disclosed, as to the volutes, attachment of the slicing blades, my improvements provide for provision of vertical slicer knives indicated as entireties by the letter K, arranged in series of two or more along a spiral course respectively, on each of the volutes A and B. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, each of the knives K comprise a cylindrical shank element 19, deeply notched at its upper portion at 19a, for removable and replaceable attachment of a sharpened stainless steel knife 20 made of sheet construction and having its shank (not shown in detail) secured to the notched portion 19a. Knives K, for each of the volutes A and B are arranged in spiral relation near or at the inner edge of the volute rather than close to the peripheral edge of the volute The slicing rotor SR and the spiral arrangement of the knives K are such relative to the axis of the slicing rotor SR that vertical cutting edges will be disposed radially at different distances from the axis of revolution to assure vertical cutting of the material horizontally in general, sliced by the slicing knives l4 and I5.

OPERATION In operation, with the parts assembled as shown in FIG. I, vegetables such as cabbage or lettuce heads are disposed and supported upon the top of the slicer rotor SR. Upon operation of motor M, the two slicing knives in spiral, successively descending relationship (with direction of revolution as indicated) very efficiently slice the food material with a maximum shearing effect because of the spiral relationship, and furthermore, cut from the axial portion of the device, outwardly, thereby with the cooperation of centrifugal force, causing the sliced material to work outwardly from the axis toward the inner periphery of the housing H.

It will be noted that to substantially reinforce and alsocause further working of the sliced material outwardly the follower flanges 21 are integrally provided below the volutes A and B and spaced slightly inwardly of the peripheral edge of said volutes. These follower elements work the material outwardly but in the passage of the horizontally sliced material, the upstanding, substantial vertical edges of knives K cut this material into strands or strings, which are integrally for the most part, carried by centrifugal force to the exterior of the rotor.

A vortexof air is also set up within housing H which serves to aid in the tangential delivery of the sliced material to and through the discharge passage 11b in-the bottom of the housing and thence to the exterior thereof.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 7 inclusive the slicing rotor herein indicated as an entirety by S', R, is of somewhat different and shallower form, comprising however, two separated volutes A-1 and 8-1, divided by helically curved slots 22 and 23, which converge slightly from the peripheral edges of the rotor to the innermost ends of such slots. The rotor has removably secured thereto, as in the form first described, two curvilinear, slightly spiraling slicer blades 24 and 25, having upwardly turned or dished sharpened edges 24a and 25a respectively.

In this form of slicer rotor, provision is made for quite thin horizontal slicing and feeding of material downwardly, substantially slower than in the form first described. The combination of slightly spiraled cutter blades 24 and 25, with the multiplicity of upstanding vertical double-cutter blades very successfully produces the c'ubing or comminuting of vegetables and other food materials in small rectangular or cubical, granular form.

I have discovered that the proper spiral arrangement of two sets of special upstanding double knives K-l, as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing, will produce the desired results. Each of the knives K-l, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, has an upstanding pair of closely spaced blades 26a which may be integrally formed or detachably connected with a cylindrical shank 26. The shanks, as in the form of the invention first described, are seated and retained in appropriate cylindrical recesses 27 formed in the designated portions of both volutes A-1 and 8-1. A preferable arrangement in each instance is well illustrated in FIG. 4, and as shown, comprises a single knife K-I seated medially of the volute A-1 and the trailing edge thereof. The remainder of the multiplicity of knives K-l are generally seated along two substantially parallel spiral lines, starting with knives quite adjacent to the hub U of the rotor and following generally the course of the cutting edges 25a and 24a of the respective volutes. The radial distances from the center of the knives to the axis of the rotor are successively different for each knife of each series, so that in actual operation the knives cut vertically through the vegetable and other foods material, and closely cooperate with the spiraled cutting edges which produce substantially horizontal slices of the material.

The end result isthat because of the arrangement and different radial distances of the double small knives K-l, material such as cabbage, lettuce, potatoes and the like are cut into rectangular wedges or substantially cubical granules. Thus cabbage slaw, wedges of lettuce and granules for french fired potatoes may be rapidly produced with the use of the lastdescribed form of the invention.

It is to be understood that in manufacturing and selling of vegetable cutter machines, rotors of the form illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 as well as the second slicing rotor of the form shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 are included in the overall machine sold.

In FIG. 8 which is a fragmental perspective view, similar to a portion of FIG. 2 of the drawings, an alternative and somewhat more economical vertical blade unit structure, is illustrated. In this fragmentary view the peripheral sector portion of the volute B is broken away to expose the unitary, somewhat flexible, preferably stainless steel blade unit 30. Volute B, intermediately of the peripheral and inner edges thereof, is provided with an elongated curved blade-receiving slot Z, which in curvilinear form, runs about parallel with the peripheral edge of the volute B. It will be understood that the upper volute A (not shown) is similarly provided with the blade-receiving slot 2 in the appropriate portion thereof. The blade unit 30 comprises an elongate strip or body having a plurality (as shown, two) of inverted keyhole slots formed in spaced relation therethrough. The enlarged, circular portion of the slot is at the bottom thereof and is adapted, upon insertion of a blade unit through the slot Z, to accommodate the heads 31 of headed pins which are secured to the vertical edge of the volute B (inward) provided by the slot. Thus, for interlocking the headed pins 31 blade unit 30 is first in somewhat upraised position, interfitted with the heads 31 and thereafter, forced downwardly to interlock the pins with the upward portions of the keyhole slots. The blade units 30, preferably integrally formed therewith, carry a plurality of upstanding, sharpened cutter blades K-2, which as shown in FIG. 8 are positioned approximately as the blades K in the form first described.

It is to be understood that similar or equivalent blade units to those illustrated as 30 in FIG. 8, may be employed for various arrangements of multiple blades, even for some portions of the series shown in FIG. 4.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that in all forms and embodiments of the invention disclosed, that upon operation of the slicing machine, a multiple, vertical slicing takes place simultaneously with the horizontal or slightly spiral slicing of the vegetables or other food material, in their progress downwardly through the multivolute rotor. 1

In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and slight modifications thereof, vegetables or other food material such as cabbage, lettuce, potatoes and the like will be cut into elongated shreds or strings, and of course dependent upon the positioning of blades such as those illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 8 with addition of more blades properly spaced, strings or shreds may be relatively wide or relatively thin or fine in nature.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 of the drawings, wedges or squares of lettuce, cabbage or other vegetables may be produced rapidly and efficiently together with the production of diced material such as potatoes, cabbage, carrots and the like.

In its several forms, my invention provides for a large variety of combination vertical and horizontal cutting or slicing of food materials with high efficiency and large capacity.

lclaim:

l. A machine for diversely slicing vegetables and the like having in combination:

a generally cylindrical housing,

a driven slicing rotor mounted generally axially within said housing,

said rotor having at least a pair of partially separated volute body portions arranged generally in spiral flight,

said volute portions each carrying a convex slicing blade overlapping slightly inward peripheral portions thereof to produce feeding of the food materials generally downwardly with substantially horizontal slicing of the food material,

a plurality of upstanding relatively short cutting knives carried by at least one of said volute body portions and having sharpened leading edges, certain of said knives being arranged generally in a spiral line disposed symmetrically to the convex edge of the cutting blade carried by an adjacent volute body portion.

2. The structure and combination defined in claim I further characterized by said housing having a bottom and provided with a generally tangential discharge opening in the lower portion thereof,

and a plurality and series of upstanding vertical cutting knives carried by each of said volute body portions, the arrangement of said knives on one of said volute portions being generally in a spiral line extending parallel to the cutting blade edge affixed to an adjacent volute portion.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 wherein the radial distances from the axis of said rotor and each of said upstanding cutting knives in a series is of predetermined length.

4. The structure set forth in and defined in claim 1 wherein said upstanding cutting knives in each instance is composed of a plurality of spaced blades having sharpened leading edges and wherein sequence said knives are disposed at increasingly greater radial distances from the axis of said rotor to produce with the general horizontal slicing of the material, a generally diced or cubular multiplicity of sliced particles 5. The structure and combination defined in claim I wherein:

said rotor comprises a pair of partially separated volute body portions with upper surfaces thereof extending in a substantially continuous spiral path,

said convex slicing blades being attached to the inner edges of said separated volute body portion,

and a series of said upstanding cutting knives attached to each of said volute portions and each series being arranged in a curvilinear line extending generally parallel to the cutting edge carried by the other volute.

6. The structure and combination defined in claim 1 wherein:

said rotor comprises a pair of partially separated volute body portions with the upper surfaces thereof extending in two different spiral paths, said convex slicing blades being attached to the inner edges of said separated volute body portions,

a series of said upstanding cutting knives in multiplicity attached to each of said volute portions and each series having a general arrangement in a curvilinear line extending generally parallel to the cutting edge carried by the other volute,

the individual knives of each series carrying a plurality of parallel-spaced blades, and in each series said knives being consecutively disposed at increasingly greater radial distances from the axis of said rotor to produce, with the general horizontal slicing of the material, a generally diced multiplicity of resultant particles.

7. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said upstanding cutting knives are constructed in multiple units, each unit comprising a curvilinear thin body adapted for substantially flush attachment to one of the inner edges of said separated volute body portions,

and integrally carrying a multiplicity of upstanding cutter blades,

and means for quickly and removably attaching said multiple units to one of said inner edges of a volute. 

1. A machine for diversely slicing vegetables and the like having in combination: a generally cylindrical housing, a driven slicing rotor mounted generally axially within said housing, said rotor having at least a pair of partially separated volute body portions arranged generally in spiral flight, said volute portions each carrying a convex slicing blade overlapping slightly inward peripheral portions thereof to produce feeding of the food materials generally downwardly with substantially horizontal slicing of the food material, a plurality of upstanding relatively short cutting knives carried by at least one of said volute body portions and having sharpened leading edges, certain of said knives being arranged generally in a spiral line disposed symmetrically to the convex edge of the cutting blade carried by an adjacent volute body portion.
 2. The structure and combination defined in claim 1 further characterized by said housing having a bottom and provided with a generally tangential discharge opening in the lower portion thereof, and a plurality and series of upstanding vertical cutting knives carried by each of said volute body portions, the arrangement of said knives on one of said volute portions being generally in a spiral line extending parallel to the cutting blade edge affixed to an adjacent volute portion.
 3. The structure set forth in claim 2 wherein the radial distances from the axis of said rotor and each of said upstanding cutting knives in a series is of predetermined length.
 4. The structure set forth in and defined in claim 1 wherein said upstanding cutting knives in each instance is composed of a plurality of spaced blades having sharpened leading edges and wherein sequence said knives are disposed at increasingly greater radial distances from the axis of said rotor to produce with the general horizontal slicing of the material, a generally diced or cubular multiplicity of sliced particles.
 5. The structure and combination defined in claim 1 wherein: said rotor comprises a pair of partially separated volute body portions with upper surfaces thereof extending in a substantially continuous spiral path, said convex slicing blades being attached to the inner edges of said separated volute body portion, and a series of said upstanding cutting knives attached to each of said volute portions and each series being arranged in a curvilinear line extending generally parallel to the cutting edge carried by the other volute.
 6. The structure and combination defined in claim 1 wherein: said rotor comprises a pair of partialLy separated volute body portions with the upper surfaces thereof extending in two different spiral paths, said convex slicing blades being attached to the inner edges of said separated volute body portions, a series of said upstanding cutting knives in multiplicity attached to each of said volute portions and each series having a general arrangement in a curvilinear line extending generally parallel to the cutting edge carried by the other volute, the individual knives of each series carrying a plurality of parallel-spaced blades, and in each series said knives being consecutively disposed at increasingly greater radial distances from the axis of said rotor to produce, with the general horizontal slicing of the material, a generally diced multiplicity of resultant particles.
 7. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein: said upstanding cutting knives are constructed in multiple units, each unit comprising a curvilinear thin body adapted for substantially flush attachment to one of the inner edges of said separated volute body portions, and integrally carrying a multiplicity of upstanding cutter blades, and means for quickly and removably attaching said multiple units to one of said inner edges of a volute. 